Have your say on policing and community safety issues
SEEKING YOUR VIEWS: Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison
ADVERTORIAL
Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison has launched his annual survey to gauge the public view of the future of policing and community safety.
This year’s survey will ask for opinions on the government’s proposals for policing reform and the decision to abolish the Police and Crime Commissioner role in 2028.
Mr Evison said: “In light of the proposals to merge police forces and the abolishment of my role in holding the police to account, my annual survey comes with a slight change of focus this year.
“I am determined for the voices of our communities to be heard on these significant issues because, after all, policing exists to serve the public and your confidence in future structures and governance is exceptionally important.
“Of course, I still want to hear about the types of crime and anti-social behaviour you feel should be priorities for tackling by police and other agencies. Such information is vital in my role of ensuring Humberside Police provide an effective and efficient service and make our communities safer.
“Please take the time to complete my survey and let me know what you think about these important issues.”
The results of the survey will also help shape the focus of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Humberside over the next two years. For example, addressing the use of e-scooters in public areas has become a priority issue for the OPCC following the results of a recent anti-social behaviour survey.
A national police and crime survey will be conducted later this year and Mr Evison is encouraging the public to take part.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s survey, which should take no more than ten minutes to complete, is now live and will be available until August 17.
The survey is hosted on the My Community Alert platform. To take part, scan the QR code.
Scan the QR code to take part in the survey
Community worker commended by police and crime commissioner
‘MASSIVELY PROUD’: Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison with Kayleigh Jackson, from the Tigers Trust
A dedicated community worker has been commended by Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison for her tremendous work with the Tigers Trust.
Initially a participant in Tigers Trust activities in Hull, Kayleigh Jackson joined the staff and rose through the ranks to her current position as head of community, engagement and safeguarding.
Using her own lived experience, Kayleigh has made a significant impact on individuals and groups through her work with Tigers Trust, an independent charity associated with Hull City.
“I’m massively proud,” Kayleigh said. “But it’s not just me – it’s the fantastic team that we’ve got at the organisation. Everybody is in it for the right reasons, everybody wants to make a difference in the local community.
“We’re just in the fortunate that we’re employed by Tigers Trust and able to live and breathe the values of the organisation. The team do that day in, day out.”
Kayleigh was nominated for her commendation by Olly Burdett of Future Humber, whose submission included: “She leads with empathy, consistency and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by children and young people who are often on the margins.
“Through her work, young people are better supported to stay engaged, improve their wellbeing and make more positive choices.
“Kayleigh’s impact goes beyond programmes and sessions, she sets the tone for good practice, puts people first and makes a lasting difference in the communities across our region.”
Mr Evison launched his commendation scheme earlier this year and both he and deputy Leo Hammond continue to visit deserving recipients to make presentations.
Your Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Leo Hammond
MESSAGE: Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Leo Hammond
Welcome to my latest column and the opportunity to highlight the work the Commissioner, our team and I have been involved in and are set to carry out in the coming months.
Our public engagement tells us that road safety remains a top priority for our communities. We continue to work closely with Humberside Police and the council to do all we can to improve road safety. No-one should die because of poor driving.
A major concern raised by residents in relation to both road safety and anti-social behaviour is the use of e-scooters and e-bikes.
While they are readily available to buy, use of any e-scooter on a public highway, road or footpath is illegal. Modified e-bikes that travel faster than 15mph are also illegal. Use of these vehicles has caused serious accidents in our area.
The police take strong action against the use of these illegal vehicles and regularly confiscate and destroy them.
This task has become easier with the introduction of 16 new drones for the force – something our office has lobbied for – making it easier to track these dangerous vehicles and apprehend users.
Illegal e-scooter use is a national issue. While we push the police to tackle this locally, it does need a national solution. Along with other Police and Crime Commissioners and the Motorcycle Industry Association, we have been lobbying central government to bring in a licensing system for the sale of the vehicles.
They can currently be purchased off the shelf with no limits, allowing for a constant supply to the public regardless of how many the police confiscate. This needs to change.
Speeding is another concern for many of our communities. While speeding as a factor along does not cause the majority of accidents, it increases the chance of death when combined with other issues, such as tailgating.
To reduce speeds in our communities, we have worked with parish and town councils to launch AutoSpeedWatch – the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to prevent and tackle speeding. We have trialled these cameras in Bubwith in the East Riding, where they have significantly reduced speeding.
Our office will continue to work with partners to improve road safety for all road users, reducing deaths on our roads.
Community safety fund
Further funding to help reduce crime and improve community safety has been provided by Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside Jonathan Evison for the latest round of the Community Safety Fund (CSF).
Since the launch of the CSF in May 2022, in excess of £2million of grant funding has been allocated across eight rounds, supporting more than 180 community projects.
Mr Evison said: “After seeing first-hand the work our previous rounds have been able to support, I am pleased to open the Community Safety Fund for new applications.
“In 2024 committed £1.6million to the CSF to support the delivery of my Police and Crime Plan through to 2029 and I know this funding plays a major role in the improvement of community safety by providing groups with the opportunity to add to their resources and facilities.
“I look forward to seeing the applications come in.”
The CSF can provide funding of between £500 and £35,000 towards projects that meet the scheme criteria and are led by voluntary and community sector organisations, social enterprises or town and parish councils.
This round of funding is focused on projects that involve the purchase and/or installation of equipment and/or assets to support the reduction in rime and improvement in community safety.
The CSF operates on a competitive basis with projects that deliver the greatest impact and best value for money given priority.
Projects should generally have a match funding contribution equivalent to at least ten per cent of the full value, either as a direct contribution to costs and/or as an ‘in-kind’ contribution. Greater match funding will be required for organisations that have previously accessed the CSF.
For more information on the Community Safety Fund, including terms and conditions and how to apply, scan the QR code.
Scan the QR code for more information on the Community Safety Fund
Not In Our Community
A wealth of information to help guardians keep their young people safe is now available via the new Not In Our Community online resource hub for parents and carers.
Support, advice and vigilance from trusted adults are vital tools in helping children navigate increasingly complex challenges they face in society.
Funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside, Not In Our Community was developed and co-produced by young people to create educational resources on a range of topics including child exploitation and violence against women and girls.
Helping to arm parents and carers with information to provide further guidance led to the addition of new targeted resources on the platform.
Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Evison said: “Knowing how best to support and guide children through changing and challenging times can be scary and overwhelming.
“We hope these new resources give parents and carers the confidence to have open conversations about difficult subjects to help guide children to make positive choices.”
Key topics linked to crime prevention and safety include violence and weapons, relationships and anti-social behaviour, helping guardians to spot early warning signs, understand pressures on young people and feel confident to offer guidance.
On-going advice and support can be found on Not In Our Community on Facebook.